Polabian Slavs adopt German agricultural techniques?

So I have a metaphorical hard-on for the West Slavs who inhabited the area between the Elbe and the Oder. And I want to create an enduring ethnically and linguistically Slavic state for them.

The problem that gets pointed out the most is that the Wends had a much lower populaton density compared to the Germans.

One of the biggest reasons for this was that they preferred to practice agriculture on sandy soil, which had a poor yield.

By contrast, the Germans used swampy areas, which were difficult to set up for agriculture, but yielded larger crops once you managed to get things rolling.

So. What is required for the Polabian Slavs to adopt German agricultural techniques?

Moreover, if they DO manage to utilize areas that were IOTL inundated with Germans, will they be capable of achieving a population density sufficient enough to remain independent and Slavic?
 
I rather suspect that alone will not be enough, unless they get a technological head start (which is not inherently iomprobable - it looks like quite a few innovative ideas are owed to Western slav intermediaries rather than the usually quoted Cistercians).

If you don't mind the cultural impact, early conversion might do the trick. It worked for the Poles and Bohemians, and the option has existed from around 800.
 
A lot of the opening of virgin lands was done by monks who weren't afraid of hard labour. "Laborare est orare" and all that.

Convert the Wends, have them set up their own monasteries in the tough lands, borrowing techniques from sister monasteries to the west.....
 
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